40 Years Ago Today
by Mispent Youth
Summary: House and Cuddy have a secret friendship that has lasted 40 years, this is their anniversary. Just pure HUDDY friendship.


_Just a quick note at first, I urge everyone to visit Youtube and watch this video. It's only thirty seconds but it will make you smile. Watch Hugh Laurie and Lisa Edelstein strut their stuff on the PPTH catwalk, while modelling the House charity t-shirts. Even if you've seen it before, watch it again. Sorry I tried to do a link but it didn't work, instead go to youtube and search under **he's a moddeellll, **trust me you'll love it!_

_Anyway back to fanfiction, I wrote this story in an hour so don't be afraid to tell me that it shows and is painfully obvious. It's not smutty (for once, he he) but simply loving, enjoyable HUDDY friendship. Enjoy and please read and review. _

**40 Years Ago Today**

She went over to his apartment, they were gonna have dinner and maybe watch a film. Because it was their anniversary.

Not a sexual anniversary, not a marriage anniversary, not a employment anniversary.

Staff at PPTH always assumed they had met at University, but none of them knew that it was the 40th anniversary of when Gregory House met Lisa Cuddy, of when their secret but everlasting friendship had begun.

4 decades ago that day.

22nd February 1968- Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Lisa Cuddy, 5 years old, was going on an adventure to another country. She was bouncing excitedly in her seat as her Dad sang to her from the driver's seat. Her Mother, Martha, twisted in her seat to smile at her youngest daughter, sandwiched between Audrey, 9 and Sally, 13. Samuel Cuddy had been a fan of Johnny Cash's since the first record and finally he had got tickets to see him in concert, the only problem was that the only one they had been able to get tickets for was in Ontario, Canada. So they had begun the road trip to the concert but all five of the Cuddy clan were as happy as could be.

However for Gregory House, 8, going to another country wasn't a problem, in his short life he had already lived in five different countries. Simply put, he was an army brat. And truth be told, he and his father didn't get along that well. Except for Johnny Cash, that was their common interest. Greg loved the music and John did too and also respected Cash's military background. So father and son were travelling from John's parents home in upstate New York to Canada to see The Man In Black, himself.

HHHHHHHHHH

Greg sat down in his seat and clutched at his father ecstatically. "Dad, we are gonna see Johnny Cash in concert." He cheered as he looked to the currently empty stage.

"I know, Greg. I know." John said smiling affectionately at his son.

"Excuse us, please." Sam Cuddy smiled from the aisle, indicating the five empty seats next to Greg. John stood up and led Greg back into the aisle, to let the family through. "Thanks." Father on one end, three girls in the middle, Mother next to Greg.

"Mommy, I can't see." The youngest girl whispered as she tried to peer round the taller man who sat in front of her.

"Alright, you can swap with me Lisa." Martha said standing up and swapping seats with her daughter.

Greg turned to the girl next to him and smiled. "You excited?"

"Uh huh, we came all the way from Mitichgun." Lisa said, smiling at the older boy.

They still had twenty minutes until the concert began and to kill time, he told her how he had lived in different place and travelled, Lisa told him how she longed to see everything in the world. Which prompted her to give him her address, so he could send her postcards of the various places he went. So the two young children kept chattering on and on, not realising that this would be the start of a very long friendship, because that was how Lisa Cuddy met Greg House.

HHHHHHHHHH

"Say yes, say yes." Lisa cried along with rest of the audience.

In a complete 'wearing your heart on your sleeve' moment, Johnny Cash had just asked June Carter to marry him. On stage. In front of everyone.

"In case you didn't all hear, she said yes." Johnny said before lifting June into his arms and kissing her passionately. Lisa and Greg stood up with everyone and cheered as the happy couple finally came together.

"My god, I can't believe he asked her in front of everyone." Greg whispered to Lisa. "That was so brave."

"If a boy did that to me, I'd say NO!" Lisa said emphatically.

"You'd laugh in his face." Greg agreed, as Johnny and June continued with 'Jackson' after the brief but loving interruption.

"That was sooooo beautiful." Lisa said.

"Right 'ole romantic, aren't you?" Greg said with a disapproving frown.

"What's the matter with that?" Lisa asked.

"Nothing, just stupid is all."

"Humph." Lisa cried, pouting and turning away. After that she didn't talk to him again, and just paid attention to the music.

After the concert, John took his son away to beat the traffic so Greg didn't get a chance to talk to Lisa again. But that didn't matter he still had her address.

2nd August 1974- London, England, UK

Greg House, 15 was having a bad day. But he was sure it would pick up soon. In about forty minutes actually. Since that was when his best friend, Lisa Cuddy, would be arriving at his new home.

They had just arrived in London, England two weeks previously. He was used to leaving countries and picking up new languages wherever he went. He had been doing it all his life. But right now, Greg had never felt more confused or more of an outsider. The House family had moved to East London, the home of the Cockneys and though Greg could figure some things out, the Cockney rhyming slang was a bit weird to him. OK then, very weird.

But he had kept his promise and since meeting her 6 years previously, Greg had kept in contact with Lisa. He had sent her letters, postcards and photos. He had spent a couple of summers at her home in Michigan and she had also visited the places he lived in, such as Egypt and Japan.

She had gone exploring with him, tasted different cultures with him, seen amazing places with him and had many adventures with him. And now she was spending one month with him in London.

"Hello? Greg?" Blythe House called out as she led Lisa into their new home. Greg had been helping his Dad at home while his Mom went to get Lisa from the airport.

"Here." He said appearing in the hallway, making his Mom jump.

"Ooh, don't do that." Blythe grumbled as she headed down to sit on the sofa, she still wasn't used to the crazy London traffic.

"Hi Lisa." Greg said pulling the 12 year-old into a hug.

"Hi Greg." She said hugging him back fiercely. "Got any plans for the next month?"

"Aah, promised a friend of mine I'd take her around London when I went exploring." He said trying to be nonchalant.

"You have another friend?" She mocked in horror.

He couldn't help it, and just had to smile. "Nope, you're the only one." Despite a true and sad fact, it did nothing to deter Greg House. Lisa Cuddy, was his best friend and he had her there, he really didn't need anyone else.

"Can I call my Mom and Dad, please?" Lisa asked suddenly.

"Of course, sweetie." Blythe said handing Lisa the phone.

"They wanted me to let them know I got here safely." Lisa complained.

"Best not mention that wild taxi then." Blythe joked.

Lisa giggled as the phone connected to America and she had a quick word with her parents.

Greg watched from the doorway, he was actually a bit surprised Lisa's parents had let her visit him after what had happened the last time she did so. They had been in Japan the year before, and Greg had taken Lisa rock climbing. She had fallen from the rock and gotten injured, a giant scrape across her leg. He carried her to the hospital half a mile away, but got confused by the signs and they went in the wrong entrance.

They saw a man there in a Janitor uniform and Greg remembered how to ask for help in Japanese, and the man pointed them in the right direction but didn't look at them. A few hours later, Lisa had a fever, vomiting and her leg was in agony, she had come down with an infection. Amongst the language barriers and her unknown Medical history, the infection had only gotten worse.

Until the Janitor came in. Greg stared curiously at him as he took one look at Lisa's leg and told them the Medicine they needed. She was better within in an hour and patched up to leave. Both of the children had gone to see the man before they left to thank him, but he ignored them. He just kept on mopping, and taking orders from the white coats.

They asked another Doctor who explained, that he was buraku, a lower caste in the Japanese world, and he couldn't talk to them, even if he wanted to. Greg had become fascinated by him though, he didn't try to fit in with the other doctors, he just worked and when they had a mystery illness, they called him in. Other than that they left him alone, with his solitude and thoughts. '_I kinda liked that idea_,' the young boy thought as he helped a hobbling Lisa out of the hospital.

But over the next month while exploring London, Greg made sure Lisa didn't get into any more trouble, protecting her all the way.

16th October 1981- Ann Arbour, Michigan, USA

"Hey sweet cheeks, I'd like to see that top on my bedroom floor!" House yelled across the packed campus. Most of the students stopped their conversations to see who he was talking to. They all knew who _he _was. Gregory House, the legendary Medial student, who had gotten kicked out of John Hopkins, now residing in at Michigan University.

Lisa Cuddy, 18 and finally out in the world by herself, standing on her own two feet, spun in anger to see who was making such salacious comments to some poor girl. Until she saw a familiar face across the courtyard. She grinned manically and with everyone watching, she raced over and jumped into the open arms of her best childhood friend.

"Greg, why didn't you tell me you were coming here?" She demanded with a grin.

"Wanted to surprise you." He shrugged.

"Consider me surprised." She smiled affectionately. "Come on let's get some coffee, your treat of course."

Greg smiled as he linked arms with Lisa.

Over the next few months, they had become tight and not a day went past when they didn't see each other. Despite the rumours and whispers around campus, they weren't lovers, they had never slept together. They just enjoyed each other's company and understood each other like no one else.

He helped her with her studies and she managed to pass second in her class. He was proud of her and even attended her Graduation a few years later. He hadn't told her he would be there, but he thought she saw him in the crowd, smiling proudly.

10th September 1999

She looked at the man sitting across from her. Greg House, ever since he'd had his thigh muscle removed from his right leg, he had insisted that he and Cuddy had only a working relationship now. That had broken Cuddy's heart. 31 years of friendship, just tossed away. Or rather cut away.

She had only been partly responsible and the other woman, Stacy, who had authorised the surgery to save House's life albeit cripple him in the process had left during the Summer. So Cuddy was left to pick up the shattered pieces of her best and loyal friend. And in doing so, had pushed him further away from her.

Because now Cuddy could only see a hollow shell of the man who had been her childhood friend. He sat across from her, having gotten into trouble with a patient. She was used to this, having employed him for two years now, but she knew he had a good heart deep down, and he was only cruel to patients to eventually help them. She knew why he didn't talk to his patients, why he didn't wear a lab coat and because _only _she knew what had happened in Japan, that was why he got away with it. But even she didn't know that her visit to that hospital had been what prompted House to become a Doctor.

She looked at him and in a split second she could remember all those times they had spent, running amongst the pyramids in Egypt, kung-fu fighting in Japan, tree climbing in Ohio, studying in Michigan, movie marathons in New Jersey when he had first moved their. She wondered if they would ever have moments like those again. If they did, it would be a long time from now.

She knew their friendship had cracked but it wasn't fully broken, she would make sure of that. They would be friends forever, Cuddy was sure of that. She understood House better than anyone ever could or ever would. And she would _never_ let him go.

22nd February 2008

"Happy anniversary." Cuddy said as she stepped over the threshold of House's apartment.

"Happy anniversary, Lisa." House said with a genuine grin as he led her to the couch.

Yep, they had slowly restored their battered and bruised friendship, and though no one at PPTH realised, they were closer than ever.

Greg House and Lisa Cuddy were still going strong even after 40 years.


End file.
